Supply Bottlenecks for Medicines: Researchers Launch Study

10/21/2025

An interdisciplinary team at the University of Würzburg is investigating the causes of supply bottlenecks for generics. At the end, it wants to present reliable data and make recommendations for action.

Coping with supply bottlenecks is also part of everyday life in pharmacies. (Image: Benjamin Nolte / Adobe Stock)

Supply bottlenecks for medicines continue to be an everyday occurrence in pharmacies and in the German healthcare system - generics are particularly affected. These are medicines that are produced as soon as the patent protection of the original preparations has expired. Generics contain the same active ingredients as the originals, but can be offered at a lower price - after all, their manufacturers did not have to conduct their own research and development.

A new research project at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) is now systematically investigating the causes of supply bottlenecks for generics.

Foundation Supports the Project

Funded by the Dr. August and Dr. Anni Lesmüller Foundation with 70,000 euros over three years, the project "From German Manufacture to Global Generic" analyses the life cycle of the active ingredient rosuvastatin.

"We are delighted to receive funding from the foundation. It enables us to investigate an urgent supply problem in a scientifically sound and practical manner," says the project initiator, Professor Ulrike Holzgrabe from the Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry.

The active ingredient rosuvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering drug from the statin group that prevents cardiovascular disease. The Würzburg researchers are using it as a model to analyse the complex supply chains of modern generics - from production and the regulatory framework to market mechanisms.

Focus on Pharmacies

One focus of the project is on the effects of supply bottlenecks for pharmacies. It is investigating how much additional work is actually required due to prescription changes, queries and administrative processes - and what costs are incurred as a result.

"Supply bottlenecks are not just a logistical problem for pharmacies, but also a daily burden in everyday supply. With our project, we want to collect reliable data for the first time - both quantitatively and qualitatively," says business administration professor Andrea Szczesny.

Interdisciplinary Team and Strong Partners

The project is headed by three Professors: Ulrike Holzgrabe, Richard Pibernik from the Chair of Logistics and Quantitative Methods and Andrea Szczesny from the Chair of Managerial Accounting.

The team is supported by pharmacist Dr Uwe Weidenauer and Dr Luca Verginer from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, who has developed algorithms for analysing supply chains.

The findings are expected to be published scientifically by the end of 2028 and put into practice - for example, through concise and easy-to-understand documentation for political decision-makers and recommendations for pharmacy associations.

Find out more

The project is part of the EThICS-EU programme, which deals with the security of supply of essential medicines. Further information on the programme can be found at www.ethics-eu.de.